Lawmakers want Ten Commandments displayed in schools

The Alabama House has approved a bill aimed at allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools and state buildings. Representatives voted 77-19 Thursday for the proposed constitutional amendment that goes to the Senate and would also have to be approved by voters. Valley Republican Rep. DuWayne Bridges says Alabama should celebrate the country's religious roots. He predicted that Alabamians would overwhelmingly approve the measure. The legislation specifies that the display would have to be intermingled with other historical documents. Opposed lawmakers say the proposal is unconstitutional and that lawmakers were setting the state up for a lawsuit. Some lawmakers tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill, suggesting that Bible verses or a copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech should be included in the display.

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The Alabama Senate has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to protect the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings.

The Senate voted 23-1 Tuesday for the legislation sponsored by Republican Sen. Gerald Dial of Lineville. The bill still must be approved by the House and by voters in a statewide referendum before it can take effect.

The legislation is designed to provide state constitutional protection for the display of the Ten Commandments and other historically significant documents in public buildings, regardless of their religious significance.